Château Picque Caillou 2023

As so often with an expressive bouquet, red and dark berries, stony notes; a straightforward palate, crisp, fresh, well-judged tannins, good length. Once again a success.

Light on its feet, the wine nonetheless exudes ripe red and darker fruit with hints of wet stone minerality, leaving the impression of a 'straightforward' palate that favours the crisp over the deep. On the plus side, it is fresh and has ripeness, but there also some tart tannin that perturbs. Let's see how barrel ageing will develop the wine.

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. 12 months in barrel (40% new). Pure blackcurrant Cabernet aroma with a hint of stone dust. Very fine tannins increase the freshness. Harmonious without great concentration. (JH)

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 45 hl/ha. Delicate bouquet of red and blue berries, sandalwood, a subtle hint of lilac and light tobacco. On the palate, structured with a soft texture and a tightly knit body, juicy, with balanced drive and medium body. In the focused, finely aromatic finish, elderberry and sloe juice, ending with fine-grained astringency.

Sappy and unfussy, great quality red and black fruits, no need to wait too long for this one, delivers a ton of balanced spice and fresh acidities. 40% new oak for ageing, 45hl/ha yield.

Score: 90–92. A concentrated, stony nose of blue and black fruits, with some dark notes of flower petals in the background and a very satisfying powdery touch. On the palate, the finesse seems to be concealed behind the influence of the barrel, despite a certain freshness.

Mulled black currant and plum fruit melds with singed cedar, warm earth and dark tobacco notes. Fine-grained and steady through the finish. Already approachable. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2032. 5,000 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.

Beautiful deep red. An intense, pure nose with ripe fruit aromas. Delicate on the attack and juicy on the mid-palate, the wine develops with a silky, melt-in-the-mouth texture, with a lovely burst of fruit on the finish. It’s very good. Blend: 60% cabernet sauvignon, 35% merlot, 5% petit verdot. Alcohol content: 13.5%. Yield: 45 hl/ha.